[3] During the time of my guardianship information was given me regarding this girl, to the effect that Numitoria had palmed her off as her own child after receiving her from the slave woman of Claudius; and upon investigating this matter, I found it was so. Now I might myself have claimed what I had a right to claim, but I thought it better to leave the power of choice to my ward here, when he should come to man’s estate, either to take away the girl, if he thought fit, or to come to an accommodation with those who were rearing her, by taking money for her or making a present of her.
[4] ἐν δὲ τοῖς μεταξὺ χρόνοις ἐγὼ μὲν εἰς τὰς πολιτικὰς πράξεις ἐγκυλισθεὶς οὐδὲν ἔτι τῶν Κλαυδίου πραγμάτων εἶχον ἐν φροντίδι. τούτῳ δ᾽, ὡς ἔοικε, τὸν ἴδιον ἐξετάζοντι βίον καὶ περὶ τῆς παιδίσκης ἡ μήνυσις ἀπεδόθη καθάπερ ἐμοὶ πρότερον, καὶ οὐδὲν ἄδικον ἀξιοῖ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ θεραπαίνης γεγονυῖαν ἀπάγειν βουλόμενος.
[4] Since that time, having become involved in public affairs, I have given myself no further concern about the interests of Claudius. But he, it would seem, when taking account of his estate, also received the same information concerning the girl which had previously been given to me; and he is making no unjust demand when he wishes to take away the daughter of his own slave woman.
[5] εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀλλήλους ἔπεισαν αὐτοί, καλῶς ἂν εἶχεν: ἐπεὶ δ᾽ εἰς ἀμφισβήτησιν ἦλθε τὸ πρᾶγμα, μαρτυρῶ τ᾽ αὐτῷ ταῦτα καὶ κρίνω εἶναι τοῦτον τῆς παιδίσκης κύριον.
[5] Now if they had come to terms with one another, it would have been well; but since the matter has been brought into litigation, I give this testimony in his favour and declare him to be the girl’s master.”
[1] ὡς δὲ ταῦτ᾽ ἤκουσαν, ὅσοι μὲν ἦσαν ἀκέραιοί τε καὶ τῶν τὰ δίκαια λεγόντων παράκλητοι τὰς χεῖρας ἄραντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνέκραγον ὀδυρμῷ [p. 174] καὶ ἀγανακτήσει μεμιγμένην κραυγήν, οἱ δὲ τῆς ὀλιγαρχίας κόλακες τὴν ἐπικελεύουσάν τε καὶ θάρσος ἐμποιῆσαι δυναμένην τοῖς κρατοῦσι φωνήν. ἠρεθισμένης δὲ τῆς ἀγορᾶς καὶ παντοδαπῶν γεμούσης λόγων τε καὶ παθῶν σιωπὴν γενέσθαι κελεύσας Ἄππιος ἔλεξεν:
[37.1] When they heard this, all who were unprejudiced and ready to be advocates for those who plead the cause of justice held up their hands to heaven and raised an outcry of mingled lamentation and resentment, while the flatterers of the oligarchy uttered their rallying cry that was calculated to inspire the men in power with confidence. While the Forum was seething filled with cries and emotions of every sort, Appius, commanding silence, said:
[2] εἰ μὴ παύσεσθε διαστασιάζοντες τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἀντιστρατηγοῦντες ἡμῖν οἱ ταραχώδεις, μηδαμῇ χρήσιμοι μήτ᾽ ἐν εἰρήνῃ μήτε κατὰ πολέμους, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης σωφρονισθέντες εἴξετε. μὴ τούτους οἴεσθε τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ Καπετωλίου καὶ τῆς ἄκρας φρουροὺς ἐπὶ τοὺς ἔξωθεν πολεμίους ἡμῖν παρεσκευάσθαι μόνον, ὑμᾶς δὲ τοὺς ἔνδον ὑποκαθημένους καὶ πάντα σήποντας τὰ τῆς πόλεως πράγματα ἐάσειν.
[2] “If you do not cease dividing the city into factions and contending against us, you trouble-makers, useless fellows everywhere whether in peace or in war, you shall be brought to your senses by compulsion and so submit. Do not imagine that these guards on the Capitol and the citadel have been made ready by use solely against foreign foes and that we shall be indifferent to you who sit idle inside the walls and corrupt all the interests of the commonwealth.
[3] γνώμην δὴ λαβόντες κρείττονα ἧς ἔχετε νῦν ἄπιτε, οἷς μή τι πρᾶγμα, καὶ πράσσετε τὰ ἑαυτῶν, εἰ σωφρονεῖτε: σὺ δ᾽ ἄγου τὴν παιδίσκην ἔχων, Κλαύδιε, μηδένα δεδοικὼς δι᾽ ἀγορᾶς:
[3] Adopt, then, a better disposition than you have at present and be off with you, all you who have no business here, and mind your own affairs, if you are wise. And do you, Claudius, take the girl and lead her through the Forum without fearing anyone; for the twelve axes of Appius will attend you.”
[4] οἱ γὰρ Ἀππίου σε προπέμψουσι δώδεκα πελέκεις. ὡς δὲ ταῦτ᾽ εἶπεν, οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι στένοντες καὶ τὰ μέτωπα παίοντες καὶ τὰ δάκρυα κατέχειν οὐ δυνάμενοι παρεχώρουν ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς, ὁ δὲ Κλαύδιος ἀπῆγε τὴν παῖδα τῷ πατρὶ περιπεπλεγμένην καὶ καταφιλοῦσαν καὶ ταῖς ἡδίσταις φωναῖς ἀνακαλοῦσαν. ἐν τοιούτοις δὴ κακοῖς Οὐεργίνιος ὢν ἔργον εἰς νοῦν βάλλεται πατρὶ μὲν ταλαίπωρον καὶ πικρόν, ἐλευθέρῳ δ᾽ ἀνδρὶ
[4] After he had spoken thus, the others withdrew from the Forum, sighing, beating their foreheads, and unable to refrain from tears; but Claudius began to lead away the girl as she held her father close, kissing him and calling upon him with the most endearing words. Finding himself in so sore a plight, Verginius thought of a deed that was grievous and bitter indeed to a father, yet becoming to a free man of lofty spirit.
[5] καὶ μεγαλόφρονι πρέπον. αἰτησάμενος γὰρ ἐξουσίαν ἀσπάσασθαι τὴν θυγατέρα τοὺς τελευταίους ἀσπασμοὺς ἐπ᾽ ἐξουσίας καὶ διαλεχθῆναι μόνῃ μόνος, ὁπόσα βούλεται, [p. 175] πρὶν ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς αὐτὴν ἀπαχθῆναι, συγχωρήσαντος τοῦ στρατηγοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μικρὸν ἀναχωρησάντων ὑπολαβὼν εἰς τὴν ἐκλυομένην τε καὶ καταρρέουσαν καὶ κατέχουσαν τέως μὲν ἀνεκαλεῖτό τε καὶ κατεφίλει καὶ τὰς λιβάδας ἐξέματτε τῶν δακρύων, ἔπειτα κατὰ μικρὸν ὑπάγων, ὡς ἦν ἐγγὺς ἐργαστηρίου μαγειρικοῦ, μάχαιραν ἐξαρπάσας ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης παίει τὴν θυγατέρα διὰ τῶν σπλάγχνων τοσοῦτον εἰπών:
[5] For he asked leave to embrace his daughter for the last time as a free woman and to say what he thought fit to her in private before she was taken from the Forum, and when the general granted his request and his enemies withdrew a little, he held her up and supported her as she was fainting and sinking to the ground, and for a time called her by name, kissed her, and wiped away her streaming tears; then, drawing her away by degrees, when he came close a butcher’s shop, he snatched up a knife from the table and plunged it into his daughter’s vitals, saying only this:
[6] ἐλευθέραν σε καὶ εὐσχήμονα, τέκνον, ἀποστέλλω τοῖς κατὰ γῆς προγόνοις: ζῶσα γὰρ ταῦτα οὐκ ἐξῆν ἔχειν ἀμφότερα διὰ τὸν τύραννον. κραυγῆς δὲ γενομένης ᾑμαγμένην ἔχων τὴν σφαγίδα καὶ αὐτὸς ἀνάμεστος αἵματος γενόμενος, ᾧ προσέφυρεν αὐτὸν ἡ σφαγὴ τῆς κόρης, ἔθει διὰ τῆς πόλεως ἐμμανὴς ἐπὶ
[6] “I send you forth free and virtuo
us, my child, to your ancestors beneath the earth. For if you had lived, you could not have enjoyed these two blessings because of the tyrant.” When an outcry was raised, holding the bloody knife in his hand and covered as he was himself with blood, with which the slaying of the girl had besprinkled him, he ran like a madman through the city, calling the citizens to liberty.
[7] τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τοὺς πολίτας καλῶν. διεκπαισάμενος δὲ τὰς πύλας ἀνέβη τὸν ἵππον, ὃς ἦν παρεσκευασμένος αὐτῷ, καὶ συνέτεινεν ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον, Ἰκιλίου τε καὶ Νομιτωρίου τῶν ἀγαγόντων αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος νεανίσκων καὶ τότε συμπροπεμπόντων. ἠκολούθει δ᾽ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἄλλος ὄχλος δημοτῶν οὐκ ὀλίγος, ὥστε τοὺς σύμπαντας ἀμφὶ τετρακοσίους γενέσθαι. [p. 176]
[7] Then, forcing his way out through the gates, he mounted the horse that stood ready for him and hastened to the camp, attended this time also by Icilius and Numitorius, the young men who had brought him from the camp. They were followed by another crowd of plebeians, not small in number, but amounting to some four hundred in all.
[1] ὁ δὲ Ἄππιος, ὡς τὸ περὶ τὴν κόρην ἐπέγνω πάθος, ἀναπηδᾷ τε ἀπὸ τοῦ δίφρου καὶ διώκειν τὸν Οὐεργίνιον ἐβούλετο πολλὰ καὶ λέγων καὶ πράττων ἄκοσμα. περιστάντων δ᾽ αὐτὸν τῶν φίλων καὶ μηδὲν ἐξαμαρτάνειν ἀξιούντων ἀπῄει πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀγανακτῶν.
[38.1] When Appius learned of the girl’s fate, he leaped up from his seat and was minded to pursue Verginius, meanwhile both saying and doing many indecorous things. But when his friends stood round him and besought him to do nothing reckless, he departed full of resentment against everybody.
[2] ἤδη δ᾽ αὐτῷ κατ᾽ οἰκίαν ὄντι προσαγγέλλουσι τῶν ἑταίρων τινές, ὅτι περὶ τὸ πτῶμα τῆς κόρης Ἰκίλιός τε ὁ κηδεστὴς καὶ Νομιτώριος ὁ θεῖος σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἑταίροις τε καὶ συγγενέσιν ἑστῶτες ῥητὰ καὶ ἄρρητα κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ λέγουσι καὶ καλοῦσι τὸν δῆμον ἐπὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν.
[2] Then, when he was already home, some of his followers informed him that Icilius, the betrothed of Verginia, and Numitorius, her uncle, together with her other friends and relations, standing round her body, were charging him with crimes speakable and unspeakable and summoning the people to liberty.
[3] ὁ δ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ὀργῆς ὡς εἶχε πέμπει τῶν ῥαβδούχων τινὰς κελεύσας ἀπάγειν εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον τοὺς κεκραγότας καὶ τὸ πτῶμα μεταφέρειν ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς: ἀφρονέστατον πρᾶγμα ποιῶν καὶ τοῖς τότε καιροῖς ἥκιστα ἁρμόττον. δέον γὰρ ἀποθεραπεύειν τὸν ὄχλον ὀργῆς εἰληφότα δικαίαν πρόφασιν, εἴξαντα μὲν ἐν τῷ παραχρῆμα χρόνῳ, ὕστερον δὲ τὰ μὲν ἀπολογούμενον, τὰ δὲ παραιτούμενον, τὰ δ᾽ ἑτέραις τισὶν εὐεργεσίαις ἀναλαβόντα, ἐπὶ τὸ βιαιότερον ἐνεχθεὶς εἰς ἀπόνοιαν αὐτοὺς ἠνάγκασε τραπέσθαι.
[3] In his rage he sent some of the lictors with orders to hale to prison those who had raised the clamour and to remove the body out of the Forum, thereby doing a most imprudent thing and one by no means suited to that crisis. For when he ought to have courted the multitude, by yielding to them for the moment and afterwards justifying some of his actions, seeking pardon for others, and making amends for yet others by sundry acts of kindness, he was carried away to more violent measures and forced the people to resort to desperation.
[4] οὐ γὰρ ἀνέσχοντο τῶν ἐπιβαλλομένων ἕλκειν τὴν νεκρὰν ἢ τοὺς ἄνδρας εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἀπάγειν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐμβοήσαντες ἑαυτοῖς σὺν ὠθισμῷ τε καὶ πληγαῖς τῶν βιαζομένων ἐξέβαλον αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς. ὥστ᾽ ἠναγκάσθη ἀκούσας [p. 177] ταῦθ᾽ ὁ Ἄππιος ἅμα συχνοῖς ἑταίροις καὶ πελάταις εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν πορεύεσθαι παίειν κελεύων καὶ ἀνείργειν ἐκποδὼν τοὺς ἐν τοῖς στενωποῖς. πυθόμενοι δὲ τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτοῦ τῆς ἐξόδου Οὐαλέριός τε καὶ
[4] For instance, they would not permit it when the lictors attempted to drag away the body or hale the men to prison, but shouting encouragement to one another, they indulged in both pushing and blows against them when they attempted to use violence and drove them out of the Forum. As a result, Appius, on hearing of this, was obliged to proceed to the Forum, accompanied by numerous partisans and clients, whom he ordered to beat and hold back out of the way the people who were in the streets.
[5] Ὁράτιος, οὓς ἔφην ἡγεμονικωτάτους εἶναι τῶν ἀντιποιουμένων τῆς ἐλευθερίας, πολλὴν καὶ ἀγαθὴν νεότητα περὶ αὑτοὺς ἄγοντες ἵστανται πρὸ τοῦ νεκροῦ καὶ ἐπειδὴ πλησίον αὐτῶν οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἄππιον ἐγίνοντο, πρῶτον μὲν εἰς λόγους ἐπαχθεῖς καὶ προπηλακιστὰς κατὰ τῆς ἐξουσίας αὐτῶν ἐχώρουν, ἔπειτα καὶ τὰ ἔργα ὅμοια τοῖς λόγοις παρείχοντο παίοντές τε καὶ ἀνατρέποντες τοὺς ὁμόσε χωροῦντας.
[5] But Valerius and Horatius, who, as I have said, were the chief leaders of those who desired to recover their liberty, having learned of his purpose in thus coming forth, came bringing with them a large and brave company of youths and took their stand before the body; and when Appius and his followers drew near, they first proceeded to harsh and bitter taunts against the power of the decemvirs, and then, suiting their actions to their words, they struck and knocked down all who engaged with them.
[1] ὁ δ᾽ Ἄππιος ἀδημονῶν ἐπὶ τῷ παρ᾽ ἐλπίδα τῆς κολάσεως καὶ οὐκ ἔχων, ὅ τι χρήσεται τοῖς ἀνδράσι τὴν ὀλεθριωτάτην ἔγνω βαδίζειν ὁδόν. ὡς γὰρ ἔτι τοῦ πλήθους αὐτῷ διαμένοντος οἰκείου ἀναβὰς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἡφαίστου τὸ ἱερὸν ἐκάλει τὸν δῆμον εἰς ἐκκλησίαν καὶ κατηγορεῖν ἐπειρᾶτο τῶν ἀνδρῶν παρανομίαν τε καὶ ὕβριν, ἐξουσίᾳ δημαρχικῇ καὶ ἐλπίδι κούφῃ ἐπαιρόμενος, ὅτι συναγανακτήσας ὁ δῆμος αὐτῷ
[39.1] Appius, sorely troubled by this unexpected setback and not knowing how to deal with the men, resolved to take the most pernicious course. For, feeling that the populace still remained friendly to him, he went up to the sanctuary of Vulcan, and calling an assembly of the people, he attempted to accuse those men of violation of the law and of insolent behaviour, being carried away by his tribunician power and the vain hope that the people would share his resentment and permit him to throw the men down from the cliff.
[2] παρήσει ῥῖψαι τοὺς ἄνδρας κατὰ τῆς πέτρας. οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Οὐαλέριον ἕτερον τόπον τῆς ἀγορᾶς καταλαβόμενοι καὶ τὸ πτῶμα τῆς παρθένου θέντες, ὅθεν ὑπὸ πάντων ὀφθήσεσθαι ἔμελλεν, �
��τέραν συνῆγον ἐκκλησίαν καὶ πολλὴν ἐποιοῦντο τοῦ τ᾽ Ἀππίου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὀλιγαρχῶν κατηγορίαν.
[2] But Valerius and his followers took possession of another part of the Forum, and placing the body of the maiden where it would be seen by all, held another assembly of the people and made a sweeping accusation of Appius and the other oligarchs.
[3] ἔμελλέ τε, ὅπερ εἰκὸς [p. 178] ἦν, οὓς μὲν τὸ ἀξίωμα τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οὓς δ᾽ ὁ τῆς κόρης ἔλεος δεινὰ καὶ πέρα δεινῶν διὰ τὸ ἀτυχὲς κάλλος παθούσης, οὓς δ᾽ αὐτὸς ὁ τῆς ἀρχαίας καταστάσεως πόθος εἰς ταύτην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν παρακαλῶν πλείους τῶν ἑτέρων συνάξειν, ὥστ᾽ ὀλίγους τινὰς ὑπολειφθῆναι περὶ τὸν Ἄππιον, αὐτοὺς δὴ τοὺς ὀλιγαρχικούς, ἐν οἷς ἦσάν τινες οὐκέτι τῆς ὀλιγαρχικῆς αὐτῶν ἀκροώμενοι, διὰ πολλὰς προφάσεις, ἀλλ᾽, εἰ γένοιτο ἰσχυρὰ τὰ τῶν ἐναντίων, ἄσμενοι χωρήσειν ἐπ᾽
[3] And it was bound to happen, as one would expect, that with some being attracted thither by the rank of the men, others by their compassion for the girl who had suffered dreadful and worse than dreadful calamities because of her unfortunate beauty, and still others by their very yearning for the ancient constitution, this assembly would be better attended than the other, so that just a few were left round Appius, consisting solely of the oligarchical faction; and among those there were some who for many reasons no longer paid heed to the oligarchs themselves, but, if the cause of their opponents should become strong, would gladly turn against the others.
Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79) Page 694